Zell's Story
by Elysia Erianthe
Summary: I know the title sounds lame, but I couldn't come up with anything at all. This is just a fic about Zell getting set up with another of the cast of FF8.Takes place 5 years after the fall of Ultimecia. It's my first fic so please read and review!
1. Opening Up to Possibility

Alrighty, this is my first fan fiction so please take it easy on me

Alrighty, this is my first fan fiction so please take it easy on me! So let that be my frail excuse just in case no one likes this. Story includes very mild bad language and a little bit of "teenage" humor, but nothing too serious. Anyway, please R&R! Oh and enjoy too! 

(All characters belong to their respective holders. I do not mean to infringe upon any copyright laws, but if I am, don't sue me because I don't have any money! Ahem. Thank you.)

Zell's Story

By Elysia Erianthe

©©©

Chapter 1:Opening Up to Possibility

"Sup?" _The clean-cut, fair-haired boy asked in a voice that was clear proof of his adolescence. It was unnaturally sunny in the Quad of Balamb Garden, but none of the other junior classmen gathered there seemed to care._

The waif of a girl to whom he was speaking discreetly inched forward. "Nuttin' ...,"_ she replied. Her tone was light and happy, almost musical. As her voice trailed off, however, her whimsical facial expression changed, and a muffled giggle escaped from deep within the girl._

"Wha-"_ he started to say, but the girl suddenly leapt onto her tiptoes and perfectly landed a kiss on his cheek._

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"AHHHHHHHH!" Zell screamed as he shot upright, bedclothes cascading onto the floor, temporarily out of harm's reach from his powerful limbs. But just as suddenly as he had awoken terrified, he was silent in great contrast to his behavior seconds before. Even though the immediate tension in his features---a result of his vision---had diminished, his bare chest still heaved, and his heart continued to pound. The abnormally pale Zell concentrated on the vision that was the last scene in his bewildering dream. The smiling, young girl, about the same age as young Zell, stood with her legs crossed at the ankles and index and middle fingers upheld in a 'V', winking and giggling. _'Tee-hee.'_

The click of the opening door pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind for later analysis being as Squall nudged the door open making enough room in the threshold for Rinoa who sleepily clung to his muscular shoulder.

"What's going on in here, Zell? You're ... soaking wet ...," Squall commented, quite obviously disgusted. He adjusted his grip on Rinoa uncomfortably, knowing that she could not stand half-consciously without support but he also felt uneasy showing affection towards her in front of his co-worker.

Zell scowled at Squall, reading an unintended meaning in the words.

'Not like that, Zell,' Squall thought and shook his head in disapproval. He was going to express his thoughts, but Rinoa spoke for him as she slipped out of whatever sleep-induced trance she was under. "No, you are drenched in sweat, Zellie," she sighed, smiling fondly.

"ZELLIE?!?" Zell asked exasperated and frightened. "I don't know what you put in her drink Squall, but-" However, he was interrupted by a barely audible low growl coming from the doorway.

"Mmm ... calm down Squall," she cooed and ran a hand through his silken hair. Squall raised an eyebrow in silent question, but was relieved when she relaxed in his embrace.

"Ugh," Zell mumbled as he began to feel sticky for the first time since it had been brought to his attention. He fumbled his way to sit on the edge of his bed. "So what _are _you guys up to so late doing anyway?" He raised an eyebrow mischievously, but the darkness in the room hid his expression.

"Watching a movie,'' Rinoa responded mid-yawn and continued, "and cuddling." Squall mentally thanked himself for not turning on the light when he entered because the shadows concealed his faint blush at Rinoa's last comment.

"Well, I'm going back to bed lovebirds. After all, I have to teach a class in no more than four hours," Zell broke the silence after glancing at the alarm clock. And with that, the couple silently exited the scene, and Zell probed his way back into bed, not bothering to find the bed covers scattered across the floor of his fairly large dorm room. Before he fell victim to sleep though, he recalled the vision of the girl in his dream and tried to match her face with someone he currently knew or met before. However, he had no such luck. Slowly, he drifted into unconsciousness, still questioning. _"Who are you?"_

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"Your mission won't be easy today. Your job is to infiltrate the office. The Trabia Garden Headmaster's office!" Several hoots and cheerful shouts were released after Zell let the cat out of the bag about his students' next mission. "Now, don't be too nervous," he said trying to calm the junior classmen down, but he was struggling to suppress the boyish grin that was his trademark.

"After all, this is only a minor grade," Selphie piped up after she couldn't resist feeling the students' enthusiasm. "You can access the team arrangements through your instruction panels. Remember to meet with your teams and arrive at the front gate at thirteen hundred hours. Class-"

"Dismissed," Zell chimed in a sent a reassuring wink in Selphie's direction.

He walked over to the perky 22-year-old as she stacked up the remaining paperwork she hadn't finished while Zell was instructing the class. "This was really a wonderful idea, Zell," she commented as she straightened, cradling the bunch of papers in the nook of her arm. "I just hope it teaches them something."

Sensing her concern, Zell reached over, and after taking the papers from her, patted her shoulder in an effort to comfort her. She smiled at her best friend and took his arm after he offered. Then they proceeded out of the classroom and into the silent second floor hallway.

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"So do you think it worked?" Rinoa whispered in Squall's ear as she saw Zell and Selphie walk out of the elevator. They stood behind the directory map of Balamb Garden, occasionally sneaking glances towards the elevator.

"I don't know," Squall mumbled nonchalantly.

"That's all?" Rinoa asked, obviously not content with the answer of her unwilling partner in crime.

"..."

"Well?!?" Rinoa questioned again, even more frustrated than before.

" ... I just think this is silly. I mean, do you really think we need to be hiding behind this thing?" Squall reluctantly responded, glancing over his shoulder to see if anyone nearby noticed the once-commander of Garden lurking behind the directory, with his girlfriend acting like a cheesy undercover agent. After receiving a glare from her, his mind returned to the matter at hand. ''Either way, Ellone must have come through on her end of the deal because Zell was petrified last night.''

"He was?" Rinoa asked innocently and cocked her head to one side.

Squall let out a rare sigh. "Yes, Rinoa. You were there."

"Oh! Hehe! Oops!" She exclaimed giddily and winked at Squall. It was time for the acting to begin. They stepped out from behind the directory, and Rinoa discreetly pulled the collar of her khaki trench coat closer to her.

©©©

"Rinoa! Squall!" The duo called out in unintentional unison. They joined the other two that were strangely loitering near the Garden directory.

"Hi you guys!" Rinoa chimed excitedly.

"Whoa! Rinoa, why are you wearing a trench coat? Spying on someone?" Zell asked, raising an eyebrow in emphasis.

"Princess forgot to do her laundry," the deep masculine voice stated, catching everyone off guard.

Zell grimaced. Squall grunted. Selphie giggled, and Rinoa was the first to respond in words. "Seifer ... how did you---hahahaha!" Rinoa was overcome by a fit of laughter. But then again, who wouldn't laugh at the sight? Seifer, the self-proclaimed almighty warrior, was now dressed in something similar to hospital scrubs with a rubber gloves and a hairnet to complete the ensemble. Small particles of lint were visible on his clothes, making it blatantly obvious what he had been doing this morning---laundry. His two proteges followed at his heels, dressed in similar garb but also brandishing empty buckets and cleaning detergent.

"So Seifer," Zell said cockily while sneaking up behind the blonde, "where's your toilet brush?" He said as he ducked under the boy's arm and snatched an object out of his pocket. All of this was executed flawlessly, finished with a double backhand spring. Zell examined his latest acquisition and let out a whoop.

"Whoa! Seifer! You dog!" He screeched, dangling a pair of small, pink silk panties from the frilly white lace.

"Ooh Seifer! You baaaaaaad boy," Selphie chirped, shaking her head at him in mock disapproval.

However, in the midst of everyone's laughter, Rinoa's eyes widened and her face colored scarlet. "HEY! Those are mine!" She exclaimed, much to the surprise of the small crowd that had formed. But her anger had not hit its height yet. "AND THEY'RE DRY CLEAN ONLY!"

"Say wha ... ?" Zell asked, directing his attention toward the red-faced sorceress. But it was too late. Seifer and his crew had already scampered away with Rinoa in pursuit. Squall smoothly caught her by the waist and steered her back towards Zell and Selphie. "Don't worry about it, Rinoa," he whispered holding her close. "I'll take care of HIM later." He smiled faintly, and Rinoa remembered what their mission was once again.

"So Zellie ... I haven't seen you around with the pig-tailed girl lately ...," she commented slyly.

"What?!? Where is she? Don't let her see me, Selphie!" The obviously frightened chocobo-haired boy exclaimed and knelt behind Selphie.

"Oh, heheh. He always does this when he thinks the pig-tailed girl is walking nearby," Selphie said and chuckled, perhaps a little nervously. "I think he might actually be afraid of the poor girl," She mumbled patting Zell on the head, managing not to mess his 'do.'

After a minute, Zell realized the girl in question was nowhere near, and he stood up shakily. "Don't joke like that, Rinoa! I'm trying to avoid her."

"What? Why? Aren't you two dating?" Rinoa asked, putting on her innocent act. She already knew the answer to her question.

"No. We broke up a couple weeks ago," He mumbled glumly. "She got so upset one night while we were in the training center, and she ran off crying. I don't know what I said or did, but I feel terrible still."

A forced, sympathetic frown came to Rinoa's lips at his gloomy explanation. 'I feel terrible about tricking him like this,' she thought, 'but there's only one way to cure _that_ kind of melancholy!' She added with renewed enthusiasm.

"Poor Zellie," Selphie cooed and put her arm around his waist.

"ZELLIE! ... The hell is with everyone calling me 'Zellie' all of the sudden?!?" He exclaimed in frustration.

"Oh! You don't like it?" Selphie asked in a seductive tone, winking at Rinoa and wrapping her arms around Zell's middle at the same time. He had grown substantially in the five years since the fall of Ultimecia.

Zell groaned, realizing his defeat. Affection from basically any attractive girl made him melt even if he knew it wasn't sincere. 'Damn hormones. I was never good with girls. I think I am getting even worse at it,' he thought aggrievatedly.

The tandem of Rinoa and Selphie were unstoppable when they wanted something. Rinoa, having some knowledge of the minds of men, taught Selphie everything she knew on 'how to get anything you want from them,' as she put it. Of course, since Rinoa was very much with Squall, the perky brunette did most of the "dirty work."

Zell sighed after a minute when Selphie tugged at his arm and gave him an urgent look. He looked down at his watch and responded to her silent pleas. "Well, it looks like we better be off. Selphie needs to finish up our paperwork, and I, for one, need to clean up my room after last night. It seems I thrashed quite a bit before I woke up. So, ... later!" He waved his hand and left with Selphie in tow.

©©©

Selphie waited until they were inside Zell's dorm room to speak again. "Zell," she questioned almost wistfully, ''what was Rinoa talking about? 'Last night?'"

"Oh, heheh," Zell laughed, obviously embarrassed. "I just uh ... had this dream, and for some reason it really scared me, I guess. So uh what do you say I get you a drink before you start that paperwork? Heheh ..." He had his hand clasped on the back of his neck in his characteristically nervous and embarrassed gesture.

"Really? That's kinda creepy. What was the dream about? You don't usually get scared easily like that ...," She replied and frowned. Such an expression was so unnatural for her face.

"Well you know how they always have all the junior classmen from all the gardens come here for an annual party of sorts?"

"Yeah! I remember those! They were like a junior Garden Festival. Is that where this dream took place?"

"Yeah," Zell mumbled almost wistfully, completely lost in thought.

"Zell! Hello! Earth to Zell! On you on the Lunar Base right now or what?!?" Selphie asked in jest, waving a hand in front of his face, attempting to get the blonde boy's attention again.

"Huh? Uh ... what?" He looked back at her, perplexed.

"Just tell me exactly what happened ... from the beginning, kay?"

"All right ...," he grumbled and started the tale in a low voice as if he was afraid someone in the hallway would overhear.

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"Alright class, now that you are with your groups ...," Zell pronounced through a wicked grin and rubbed his hands together in anticipation.

"We will inform you of what exactly is going to take place here. First, your group leaders will be assigned. That means Peony, Finn, Bella, and you, Joshua. And no, I'm not out of my mind if that's what you are thinking," The petite girl nodded at the _vivacious _junior classman and sent a reassuring smile towards his other group members, Eereiah and Nessa. Joshua was so much like his mentor that it was uncanny. Unfortunately for the two young instructors, his mentor was Seifer. "Speak of the devil ...," Selphie mumbled to herself as the aforementioned approached the ensemble of junior classmen.

Seifer slowly nodded in the martial artist's direction and walked toward him. He stood close and whispered in Zell's ear. "Man, chicken-wuss! Why'd you have to go and take Rinoa's panties out of my pocket? Squall's gonna mutilate me! I bet you would have the guts to steal your girlfriend's underwear!"

"Seifer!" Joshua called out hopefully. Seifer smiled and waved at the boy.

Zell winced inwardly then spoke while Selphie continued to explain the scavenger hunt at Trabia. "I don't have a girlfriend anymore ...," he grumbled forlornly.

"I wouldn't be too sure if I were you!" Seifer smirked ran in the other direction before the other man had the chance to ask any questions.

'This is really beginning to creep me out,' Zell thought, a shiver going down his spine. 'How come everyone knows _something_ about this mystery girl, and I don't when I'm the one that's supposed to be paired up with her!?!' He thought, though the frustration was barely evident on his face as she continued to explain the mission.

"So ... let's go troops!" Selphie exclaimed happily and donned her patented smile. She quickly latched onto Zell, and with much effort dragged him out of Garden and to the Ragnarok.

"You _do_ have to entertain and control the students while I'm flying you know," she reminded him before they boarded the spaceship.

In return, Zell just sighed.

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"H-hello! What are you doing here, Irvine?" Selphie asked in a surprised, but tentative tone. 'Too surprised to be happy, too scared just to jump into his arms like I used to, too hurt ...,' she thought with some amount of sorrow.

"What, no hug or kiss? I must be losing my touch with you, Sefie," He said with a confused expression, followed by a confident one as he advanced on her. He gently lifted her chin and lowered his head until their faces were inches apart. "What's the matter, Selphie my dear?"

He had the most peculiar look on his face. 'Was it concern?' she wondered. No, she had seen that look on his face before, and it wasn't concern. Lust, maybe, but definitely not concern.

"Hey, get a room you two!" Zell chided, angrily. Anger was one of many emotions that were barely evident in his voice.

Selphie turned her face away quickly and made a mental note to thank her knight in shining ... err SeeD uniform later.

"Chicken-wuss," Irvine greeted icily.

"Womanizer," Zell countered, his temper threatening to erupt should Irvine even just slightly provoke him. He stepped up to Selphie, who was still flushed, and placed his arm around her shoulders in a protective gesture. "C'mon Selphie. I'll fly if you like ..."

"Hey now! Wait a minute. I was sent here from Deling to fly the Ragnorak for you. I think Cid thought that I was spending too much time in the bar of the Deling Hotel. I would have told you that before, Sefie, but Blondie Boy here interrupted me. So if you please, let me fly. I'm in deep enough trouble as it is," Irvine said without even a hint of an accent.

Zell smirked and thought, 'So you _do_ only use that Southern drawl to woo the ladies.' "Hypocrite," he snorted aloud. Then turning to the porcelain doll of a woman next to him, "Is that alright with you?" His voice was completely devoid of the sandpaper harshness of his earlier exchange with Irvine.

"Yes," she whispered, and she and Zell proceeded to the door. "It was nice seeing you again, Irvine," she said as coldly as she possibly could before exiting the room.

Irvine just stared dumb-foundedly at the door through which they left.

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Flashback: The Morning After (two years ago)

'Funny,' Zell thought as he entered the classroom he and Selphie taught their students in. 'She is always here before I am. But then again, she was with Irvine in Deling this weekend. Can't blame her for wanting to sleep in on a Monday morning. So I'll just let her sleep for a little while. She'll come in to teach eventually,' he thought with a little smile.

But after several hours had passed, and the perky brunette still had not made her entrance. Zell hurried through the rest of the material and dismissed the class for an early lunch.

He walked down the halls of the dorms until he reached the door of Selphie's room. Before knocking he glanced at his watch. 'It just wasn't like her to play hooky like this,' he thought with a great deal of concern. He shook his head, attempting to get those thoughts out, and knocked. There was no answer so he slowly opened the door, giving her plenty of time to respond to the creaking of the door. Still no answer. He shyly stuck his head in the door and gasped.

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__

There she sat on her bed. Her form was slightly rocking to and fro as she quietly sobbed into her knees. She was pale as the full moon. She was whispering something indecipherable to herself between sobs and sniffles. When he thought about it, the scene wasn't all that surprising, if it had been anyone else crying her eyes out. 'No, not Selphie,' he thought, rushing over to her side.

He wrapped his arms around her gently shaking form and pulled her close, hoping to comfort his friend. He was close enough to be able to hear her trembling voice.

"He's gone. He knows I love him, but he won't stay. Not for me. He doesn't love me. He's gone ..."

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	2. Breaking Down the Walls

Chapter 2: Breaking Down the Walls

Chapter 2: Breaking Down the Walls

''Geez, what is wrong with Selphie!?! She was so cold! Is this the same girl that practically worshipped me two years ago?!? I haven't changed any so what's the big deal. And since when is Zell her best friend and protector?" Irvine asked the heavens in a frustrated tone. He continued to pace the area around the cockpit and mentally thanked who ever invented the auto pilot system. "What in Hyne's name could have happened in the time since I left?!?" He asked again, the anger in his voice erupting into a shout.

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Flashback: The Night of Assumptions (two years ago in Deling City)

'What a perfect evening for this,' Irvine thought and smiled down at the girl that was clinging to his arm and gleefully skipping on the cobblestones. 'Yes, Selphie my dear, tonight is definitely the night.' He returned his gaze to the Griever Moon and discreetly fingered the small object in his pocket.

"Irvy?" She asked, cocking her head to one side.

"Yes, my pretty?"

" ... Can we go to the hotel and listen to the pianist and ... and maybe even sit where Sir Laguna and his men sat a score or so ago?!?"

"Well, I don't know Sefie ... you know that bartender doesn't look fondly on us under-agers ...," he said.

"PLEASE?!?!?!?" She begged, giving him puppy dog eyes.

"Well, alright! Ya talked me into it!" He said, throwing his arms up in mock defeat. One of his arms found its way to land around Selphie's waist. They walked together to the transport and boarded.

They spent the short trip in silent bliss as Selphie looked out the window, and Irvine politely nodded at the older people that looked their way.

"Kids really are so nice these days," one of the ladies whispered to her friend.

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It was still early evening, though the dark sky might make one think otherwise, therefore the bar-turned-restaurant downstairs area of the hotel was bustling. Luckily, with a little help Irvine's hundred gil, they were still able to secure "Sir Laguna's table" without a really long wait. They were seated by the gracious and greedy_ host and were served their sodas. The couple just quietly sipped their drinks and watched the surrounding bustle until Selphie spoke up._

"Irvine," She said in slow thoughtfulness, "Why are you doing this? Taking me out for a night on the town and all."

Irvine felt the sudden flush of blood leaving his face pale. 'What do I say to her? How can I possibly explain this to her?!?' He thought in the same sudden loss of words he experienced whenever she ever asked about his motives. However, the lighting of the restaurant was in his favor, and his date couldn't see his facial expression clearly.

"Irvy? It's not a hard question ...," she persisted with the slightest amount of amusement in her voice.

"Well ... how can I put this in words?" He mused aloud. "You are a very special girl to me, Selphie. My favorite femme out there to be exact," he whispered tenderly and reached across the table to stroke her cheek in the darkness.

"And you are a good friend as well, Irvy," she unintentionally cut him off, and placing her hand over his briefly before pulling his away from her face after seeing their waiter approaching with their meals.

'W-wha-WHAT?!?' Irvine questioned himself. It was all he could do to hold himself back from his seat in the booth and asking her if that's all he meant to her. But he gritted his teeth momentarily and decided to act as if nothing had happened for the remainder of the evening.

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__

The halls of Balamb Garden were cloaked in an eerie and unnatural silence at this late hour of night. The constant buzzing of the overhead security lights and the soft white glow of neon illumination mirrored the insects and full moon of the outside world.

But they didn't notice. While Irvine was still contemplating how to mend his crushed heart, Selphie considered whether she should carry through with her plan.

Soon enough, however, they tiptoed into the dormitory and to her room.

Selphie leaned against her door and gripped the doorframe, trying to prepare herself for what she was about to do.

"I um ... would you please come in my room for a while," she asked shyly, breaking the silence only for more to come as an astonished look crossed Irvine's face. In an attempt to clarify her meaning, she whispered, "I just ... need to tell you something is all." 'Tell him my true feelings. Yes, that was all,' she thought, while watching for the slightest reaction in Irvine, whose face was shadowed in the darkness.

"Well, now Selphie, I'm afraid that it is awful late so how about we just talk about this in the mornin'?" He said in a velvety tone and took a step closer to her.

"But!" She whispered harshly, and covered her mouth, hoping she hadn't woken anyone with her exclamation.

"Don't worry your pretty little head about it," he cooed and brought his arms up around her delicate frame in a tight embrace. He freed one arm and gently placed his cowboy hat on her head that was now nearly buried in his coat.

"Goodnight, Sefie," He said into her ear, breaking the embrace. He kissed her forehead and then was gone. He headed toward the main hallway of Garden, only pausing for a moment as he passed the door of his dorm room.

'I need to think for a little while,' he told himself and increased his pace.

©©©

"Don't you think he would realize after all this time?" She asked Zell, frowning. The soon-to-be devilish duo was currently taking the lift down from the cockpit.

"I have no idea. Guys can be dense, Irvine in particular. The best way to find out that I can think of would be just to ask him outright. But ... I don't want you to get hurt again. How about if I ask, and I can tell you what happened later. That way, if you do decide to confront ... Irvine, you will at least be a little prepared."

"Yeah ... h-hey! You read my mind!" She exclaimed after pausing between thoughts.

"Oooooooooooof course! Zell da man!" He said in mock arrogance, rubbing his knuckles against his chest.

"Ooh! You are getting as bad as Irvine!" She said and jabbed him hard in the stomach, but Zell was completely unfazed.

"Aha! Now you see that would have hurt your average pansy, but I now have SUPER ABS!" He announced proudly, standing in the pose of a long-forgotten superhero named Superman. "Thank you _8 Minute Abs_!" He said at the normal volume of his voice. "Alright, I'm done now," He said to the woman at his side who was doubled over in good-hearted laughter. "C'mon Sef," he winked and continued, "let's get back to the kids before Joshua does something terribly Seifer-ish."

©©©

By the time the instructors reached their class, eleven students were in their seats. Whether they had been in them a second before is anybody's guess, however. Joshua was standing up and apparently trying to instruct the class. What he said was enough to raise several eyebrows.

"Now class. I have done away with your normal, extremely lame teachers so I can teach you the ways of an Almasy. First comes first. This is your god. You will worship him even _after_ you die in battle," he announced quite seriously to the class and pointed to a wallet-sized photo of Seifer that he took out of his back pocket. "Now, does anyone have any questions with this first basic lesson?" Joshua was only answered by clapping and a groan from the back of the room where Selphie and Zell had entered unnoticed.

Selphie rolled her eyes at Joshua's glare and told him to sit down. Zell walked over to the sulking boy and ruffled his hair, which reeked of lemon juice.

"Sorry, buddy, but lemon juice won't do a darn thing for ya. If you want something better, tell Instructor Trepe in the Chem lab that I sent you," Zell whispered to the now beaming youth.

"You would think that we would have at least one Squall admirer in here. After all, he was the commander of Garden and the one who led SeeDs against the sorceresses as opposed to Seifer, the field exam flunky ..." Selphie said to no one particular.

"Excuse me, Instructor," a student interrupted coldly from the back of the room.

"Yes, Manning?" Selphie asked. Manning was quite possibly the quietest and most brilliant junior classman.

"I admire Squall, Instructor Tilmitt."

"Ooh! Is _that _why you are so quiet?" Selphie questioned slyly.

"Whatever."

"You know ... I really admire Miss Heartilly. So maybe..." A brunette named Airlia mumbled before plopping down in the seat next to Manning.

In return the boy brought his hand up to his bowed head in what looked like a gesture of mental anguish.

"..."

"Manny? Manny?!? Are you okay???" She asked.

"I LIKE LAGUNA! Eek! I mean President Loire," a boy, Ziven, called out enthusiastically.

At this, the young female instructor started jumping up and down and clapping. "Yay!"

"Well..." Nessa said, thinking aloud, "you are no Sir Laguna, but you are kinda cute! Hey, I hadn't noticed until now just how much your hair is like his!"

"AHHH!" Zell screamed as he noticed one of the students trying to spike up his bangs.

He promptly gave Selphie "The Look." He had had enough. 'Five, four, three, two, one!'

On zero, the two instructors ordered forcefully in unison.

"**SIT DOWN!!!**"

©©©

"Hmm?" Irvine mumbled through the chocolate bar hanging from his mouth. "Wha wuz tha?" The too-loud command echoed through the metal walled cockpit area to wake Irvine from his reverie. And just in time as Trabia could be seen, standing out as a black outline against the virgin snow. The one thing the Ragnarok couldn't do was land itself.

©©©

The important notes:

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Nessa-chan decided the lines that her inserted character (Nessa!) would have.

The names of the students are not original for the most part, but I did choose them for their meanings. I found these names on [**Alfabette Zoope Name Lists**][1]. I am eternally grateful to **Wordgirl** for her wonderful site. Anyhow, the meanings of the names are as follows:

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Joshua : JOSH-yoo-uh : hebrew "lord is salvation" ß (the lord who he thinks is Seifer)

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Manning : MAN-ing : old english "son of the hero" ß (Okay, he's not technically his son, but you get the idea)

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Airlia : AIR-lee-uh : greek "ethereal" ß (ethereal as in "Angel Wing" Rinoa)

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Ziven : ZEE-ven : slavic "vigorous and alive" ß (describes Laguna followers to a T)

©©©

   [1]: http://www.zoope.com/about/about_names.html



	3. A Clear View Inside

Chapter 3: A Clear View Inside

Chapter 3: A Clear View Inside

"Steady ... steady now. C'mon baby! Yeah!" Irvine exclaimed as the giant insect of a ship, more commonly known as the Ragnarok, landed with a soft thud. A small cloud of snow arose with a muted _pff_. 'Perfect,' he thought with a smirk. Unlike Zell, Irvine was not a mechanical genius. He often had trouble fixing simple things, forget piloting. He pressed the button to lower the stairs to the ground outside and proceeded to use the intercom to inform the passengers of their arrival. He took a deep breath and spoke into the receiver. "We're here, kiddies! Stairs are down, and you can get out of here now. Thank you for flying Air Irvine. Please enjoy your stay at Trabia Garden," he announced in an attempt to be cheerful.

"Oh brother," Zell groaned in the background as Selphie responded reluctantly. "Okay. Thanks Mr. Kinneas. All right guys! We're outta here!" She exclaimed, turning to her students.

"Head out troops!" Zell added because the crowd wasn't moving as fast as he'd like. 'The farther she gets from that pompous ass the better she'll feel,' he told himself and tried to read Selphie's facial expression. She was smiling like there was no tomorrow, but it wasn't hard for him to read the underlying nervousness in her features.

As they walked out of the ship, the group was met by the paralyzing cold that plagued the northern regions of the world. This resulted in many a sneeze, cough, or shiver. "I'm afraid they don't make the Balamb uniforms insulated like the Trabia ones," Selphie mumbled and quietly sneezed into her hands. In all truth, she had become much too accustomed to Balamb's climate. She crossed her arms, trying to hold onto her own warmth. Somewhere behind the perky brunette, two hands reached out to her then began to rub her arms. 'Well, that's unusual. Who on earth is rubbing my shoulders? It's quite an affectionate gesture,' Selphie thoughts drifted off as she pretended to pay no notice to the figure behind her.

"Here," Irvine called from a short distance away, and the girl could hear something flapping in the frigid breeze. Her body automatically tensed at the voice, and a shiver ran through her small frame despite the fact that she was no longer cold due to the warming hands. And with that, one of the hands removed itself, and Irvine's coat was caught and thrown back to the direction from which it had come.

"But!"

"No, she's fine...Irvine," Zell said, hatred dripping from his words. Following this brief exchange, he placed his hands on Selphie's shoulders once more and leaned down so he could speak softly to her. "Are you alright now? Warm enough?" He whispered gently.

She looked up at him, and for a split second held his gaze. Then she quickly nodded and continued to lead the class through the snow.

©©©

"Now," Selphie took in a deep breath of the conference room air. "While everyone defrosts for a moment, I'll explain the details of the mission once more."

"How many more times are you going to explain the mission to us before you are satisfied?" Joshua asked testily.

"Would you like to go out there right now and light the way with that red nose of yours, Rudolph?" Zell fired back and tapped his own slightly pink nose. The arrogant boy shut his gaping mouth and slouched in recognition of his defeat.

"Anyway," Selphie continued loudly, "what you are going to do is use these clues and others, put in strategic locations about the school, to find the key to the Headmaster's office."

"And tell 'em what they'll win, Vanna!" Zell interjected, trying to imitate a game show host but failing miserably. He proceeded to hand out clue envelopes.

"Somebody's been watching too much late night tv, Zell," she mumbled. "We'll figure out some sort of reward for the winning team. You will also have to venture into the Training Center, so be careful. We will be there in case you encounter any difficulties with the creatures there. So if everyone is ready, it's time to head out!"

Several hoots and shouts filled the air along with the pounding of feet as the students ran out of the conference room.

"Guess we should probably get going too, huh?" Zell asked glancing at Selphie who was currently stacking up some papers.

"Yes, I suppose so. Are you still going to ...?" Selphie asked, not bothering finish her question.

"If it would make you feel better, Sef, I'll do it. Do you plan on talking to him later about it?"

"I think so, just one thing," she responded and began to smirk. "Take off the gloves."

"Say what?!?!?" Zell exclaimed, part in fear.

"Give 'em to me," she gave him a toothy grin and a pat on the shoulder. "We can't have you being a hothead, Zellie. What kind of an example would you be setting for the students if you beat Irvine into a pulp?" Selphie said in mock concern.

"A pretty damn good one!" He laughed, but she responded with a pleading gaze. "Aww man ... I can't say no when you give me that puppy dog look!" He whined and proceeded to remove his armored gloves.

"Thank you, darling," Selphie cooed and stood on her tiptoes to place a kiss on his cheek, and his body stiffened immediately. However, the girl's attention was no longer directed towards his action, but at his ungloved hands instead.

"My gosh, Zell! Your hands are so white! I bet they're the only pale spot on your body!" Selphie squealed with delight.

"Umm ... not the _only_ spot, Sef," the rather tan and currently blushing Zell responded quietly.

'"Huh?" She asked, a little dumbfounded. "AHHHHHHHHHH! Pervert!" She screamed as the realization hit her.

"It's just a common fact that unless you lay around naked like Seifer does ...," he continued to explain before Selphie clamped a hand on his mouth and pushed him out the door.

©©©

'Here goes nothing,' Zell thought to himself after walking Selphie to the Training Center and heading toward where he thought Irvine would most likely be: in the girls' dorms for flirting purposes. However, his trip to the dorms turned out to be both unsuccessful and humiliating. "Who would have known there where so many Squall-crazy girls here," he grumbled and nearly tripped over someone's large cowboy boots.

"Hmm?" The hunched over figure mumbled. He was sitting on one of the benches surrounding the oversized fountain in the middle of the Garden with his gunpowder-stained hat hiding his eyes from the overhead lights.

"Irvine."

"No, not now, girlies, I have to report back to Martine ...," he mumbled deliriously.

"Irvine!!!" Zell yelled into his hat before throwing it into the fountain after not receiving a prompt response.

"What the hell do you want?" Irvine yelled angrily. He had finally arisen to retrieve his soaked hat.

"We need to talk," he said through clenched jaws, barely managing to keep his anger in check.

"Hmph."

"NOW!" Zell growled loudly.

"F-fine. Lead the way," Irvine replied, a little flustered from seeing the other man forceful for the first time.

©©©

"What do you want from me?" Irvine asked nonchalantly, crossing his arms across his chest and leaning back again the wall. They stood near the end of a narrow hallway, somewhere in the vast network of classrooms.

"I want to know why you left ... why you left Selphie more importantly," Zell's speech was slow and deliberate, in an attempt to get through the confrontation without any violence.

"I have my own reasons, but it was something I had to do. You wouldn't understand it, and it's none of _your _business anyway," the pony-tailed man answer haughtily.

"Uh yes, it is. I'm involved now, whether you like it or not," he replied, sounding a bit agitated.

"Whatever. I had to sort some things out for myself. That's all. Call it a _learning_ experience if you want," Irvine answered with the same tone he had used before.

"I think I'm the one who should be asking you what your motives are, Zell."

"Heh, I have my own as well, but I think if you took a guess at 'em, you'd probably be right," Zell finally responded after an extended moment of silence.

"You love her." It wasn't a question, but the blonde still felt the need to nod slowly in agreement. "Well, you're not the only one," Irvine admitted, speaking to the flooring.

"Then why did you leave?!?" Zell's voice portrayed his desperation before being silenced by the other's grip around his neck.

"I told you! I have my own damn reasons so leave me the hell alone! Why don't you just ask Selphie! She should know why!" Irvine yelled into Zell's face with bloodshot eyes before storming off.

The now disturbed chocobo-haired man lowered his head in defeat and began to rub his throbbing temples, unable to take notice of the three pairs of childish eyes hidden in the foliage of an oversized potted plant.

Joshua, Eereiah, and Nessa exchanged bewildered glances after the shock of the confrontation had worn off.

"Should we follow him?" Joshua asked, for once not having an answer for something. The group exchanged glances once more before heading off in Zell's direction.

©©©

Though in plain view upon his face, no one could see the reason why the once hopeful blonde man's soul was now tortured so. Through the tangle of lies, he was the only one to know the truth of why he felt this way. He sighed to himself in thought. 'How could she have known when even I didn't realize it until now?'

©©©

__

Flashback to two weeks ago: Secret Surrendering

The Training Center of Balamb Garden was eerily silent on that one fateful night. She had asked him to meet her there, in that not-so-secret backroom that lovers frequented. So he was there, content to wait an eternity for his pig-tailed goddess to return his feelings. And she had in the recent past, but something was amiss in the jungle flower scented air. In the empty room, he looked at the uncompassionate steel walls surrounding him until his effervescent eyes rested upon the newly arrived shadow in the doorway. It advanced upon him, but strangely stopped at an abnormally long distance away.

"I ... I thought that I might as well get this over with before it tears an even larger hole in my heart," she spoke softly---reluctantly, as if she did not want to admit herself what she was about to tell him.

"Wha-what?" He asked tenderly, taking a step towards her. In return, she lowered her head in shame and took another step back, toward the way she had come.

"I don't think we should see each other anymore, Zell," she said and looked up to see the hurt expression on his face that would later haunt her unconsciousness. "Let me explain," she mumbled, and her next words were as solemn as a wolf's cry breaking through the crisp night air. "You love Selphie. I'm sure you don't realize it yet, but I can see it in your eyes every time you look at her," she continued, sounding as if her heart was breaking with every word, but nothing except those first three words had mattered as she ran off into the night with virgin tears cascading sorrowfully down her heart-shaped face.

©©©


	4. Release & Resolution

Chapter 4: Release & Resolution

Chapter 4: Release & Resolution

"Zell! Over here!" The angelic voice wailed from somewhere out of view as the blonde entered the Training Center. Suddenly, the doll-like woman came sprinting towards him in ambush. "What'd he say? What'd he say?!?" She looked and sounded not too different from a lovesick teenager as she excitedly beat her fists against his chest.

"Whoa ... w-warn me next time you do that okay, Selphie?" Zell asked softly as he took her wrists and gently lowered them to her sides. "Well, first of all, he was a pain to get to talk and tried to start a fight with me when I actually did get him to talk--"

"Ooh! I don't care too much about that! Tell me what he said! Pleeease!" She begged desperately and pleaded with starry emerald eyes.

Unfortunately, her excitement only added more weight to the young man's leaden heart though she did not know it, but Selphie did hear his sigh before he continued. "He said that he had to figure some things out for himself so he left, and in no uncertain terms, Irvine admitted that he loves you," he answered gravely and conveniently failed to mention his own admission.

Four pairs, both youthful and a more mature set of eyes widened in response. Selphie lowered her slightly watery eyes, wishing that her companion would pay no heed to the tears forming there. But her wishes were not granted as the nearly heartbroken man looked on with a multitude of questions running through his confused mind. He tentatively encircled her with his comforting arms, and she began to sway and fell weakly into his embrace.

"Selphie! Selphie! Are you okay?" Luckily, he had caught her before she fell to the ground, and now she looked at her protector through half-closed and dazed eyes. He grunted angrily toward himself as he lifted her light body and balanced her weight easily in the cradle of his arms. "Geez, Sef! You're a lightweight. We just need to put ya on an all-hot dog diet! Now, off to the Infirmary!" He masked his worries as he spoke to his half-conscious friend.

"Here we go again!" Joshua exclaimed in anticipation after moving several leaves out of the way of his mouth.

"You know, we are never going to pass this mission if we continue to follow these psychopaths around instead of looking for clues," Eereiah mentioned rather nonchalantly as she adjusted the position of her glasses on her face.

"Heheh," the impish boy cackled hideously, "we don't need to worry about that," and produced an envelope labeled 'Last Clue' from his pocket. "All's we have to do when this soap opera is over is use this baby to find whatever is waiting for us at the end of the line!" The brunette gushed and arrogantly kissed the seal on the back of the envelope.

"Yepop!" Nessa burst in agreement and flicked a lock of light red hair away from her face.

"Say what?" Eereiah questioned bewilderedly then realized her mistake.

"What did you say, Eeia?" Joshua asked raising an eyebrow suspiciously.

"Eep! I can't help it! It's contagious!"

"Ooh so does this mean you are secretly in love with Instructor Dincht?" The odango-adorned redhead asked curiously.

"Uh ... how about I just leave that to your imagination ... by the way, when are we going to get out of this thicket, oh great leader?" She asked the boy and shifted uncomfortably.

"Shh! Someone's coming, you two!" Nessa harshly whispered before taking in a deep breath and holding it.

©©©

Irvine was walking briskly through the paths in the Training Center, hoping no one would take notice of him as he completely emerged himself in his thoughts. 'If someone starts to bug me, I'm gonna be pissed off! For the sake of the students here, they'd better hope they don't annoy me,' he thought, placing a hand on the butt of the sawed-off rifle hidden in the lining of his coat. 'But then again, who wouldn't notice a stud like me, huh? Damn it, Irvine! Stop thinking like that! That's exactly what would make Selphie doubt your love for her, you fool!'

While the cowboy wannabe was in the middle of mentally assaulting himself, he neglected to notice the three feet protruding from the underbrush edging the dirt path. With a loud thunk, he made contact with the ground and groaned loudly. "This is just not my day," he grumbled as he raised himself to see what had gotten in his way. What he saw were three feet clothed in three different varieties of shoes. The smallest foot was wearing a girlie, brown leather doll shoe. The second foot was sporting an oversized black leather boot as was the gothic fashion throughout the Balamb area. The third foot, obviously masculine and much larger in size, was adorned by an old and well-scuffed sneaker. "Hmm? Junior classmen having a threesome?" Irvine asked just loud enough for the bush-ridden group to hear after standing up.

"AHHHHHHHHHH!" Eereiah let out a battle cry as she flew out of the bushes and landed a punch on the left side of the man's face. "Pervert!" She screeched, and continued to adjust the armored gloves that had not been there a few minutes before.

'Damn, Zell is teaching his students too well,' Irvine thought to himself and resisted the urge to put the kid at gunpoint as he rubbed the increasingly obvious red blotch on his cheek.

"That'll show you for treating Mr. Dincht poorly!" Eereiah stated with no small measure of pride while dusting off her gloves.

"Treating Dincht poorly?" He thought aloud but was interrupted by the rustling of Nessa and Joshua. "You mean that you saw that in the dorms?" The surrounded SeeD asked in a surprised tone.

"Yepop."

"Uh ... I'll take that as a yes," he mumbled after sending a weird look in Nessa's direction. "and all of you are students of ...?" The deceitful gunman questioned.

"Instructors Dincht and Tilmitt!" The girls responded enthusiastically.

"You?" Irvine asked Joshua again since he hadn't answered.

Instead of orally offering an answer however, Joshua took his wallet out of his pocket and handed the pony-tailed man a picture of his beloved Seifer. He was oblivious to the fact that something else had dropped out of his pocket as well unfortunately.

"I see," he commented and handed it back as a flock of jelleyes approached them.

"Well, I won't report you for goofing off, but you guys better get out of here before these beasts attack!" Irvine managed to yell over the jelleyes' battle calls. In all truth, the flock had just been an excuse for him to make the students leave, and he defeated them in a matter of minutes. Though somewhat grief stricken, the cowboy still looked upon the bodies of the slain jelleyes with pride, and in the process noticed something white underneath one of the bodies. He picked up the envelope and read the label.

©©©

"Damn," Zell thought aloud, "I wish I was carrying you over the threshold of our new house rather than to the Infirmary," speaking to the silent and seemingly unconscious girl in his arms. Temptation, passion, and a sacred emotion called love beckoned him to speak his mind, freely and without risk, about the three feelings to the unknowing innocent, but somehow, he was able to break free of the control of his own fervent emotions. The automatic doors parted as soon as the sensor acknowledged his presence, and the blonde was blasted with the headache-inducing scent of his sterile surroundings as he stepped into the Infirmary. As he laid the sleeping Selphie in an empty cubicle, he looked quizzically at the security camera across from him. That's odd,' he thought blinking rhythmically as the red light on it flashed, 'why are they recording in the middle of the day?' He questioned as numerous pairs of eyes looked on from the other side of the machine.

©©©

"I hope I'm doing the right thing. Even if I'm not, it doesn't matter anymore," the melancholy man told himself under his breath, but his voice was inaudible due to the obnoxious clicking of his boots on the marble floor. Such deep thought inhibited his sensory skills however, and he plummeted to the uncompassionate floor after making contact with a rather large woman.

"Oh my goodness! Are you alright darlin'? Did ya need som' help up? How 'bout we just step inside the Infirmary, and I can--"

"No, no. I'm fine, ma'am. Really, I am," the klutzy cowboy replied to the overly cordial nurse as she looked upon his place on the floor doubtfully.

"Well, alrighty then. Just be more careful, ya young stud," she said in a Southern drawl and continued on to whatever destination she had intended before.

Irvine rose with a groan and dusted off his pants, oblivious to the fact that his hat remained in the spot where it had fallen off his head as he proceeded to the only location he had not checked yet.

As he stepped in the Infirmary, he foolishly took a deep breath of the cleanly stale air and coughed in response. Ever so discretely, he tipped his head up to try to sense if anyone had noticed his presence. 'I wouldn't normally want to be caught dead in here,' Irvine thought with a sideways glance. "Well, especially not dead," he mumbled aloud with a tremble that was quickly interrupted by the sound of someone shifting in a cubicle bed. Thankfully, the cowboy was not so klutzy as he silently headed over to the cubicle at a pace that could best be described as a gait.

Much to his surprise, he found his love awaiting him unknowingly. He knelt beside the bed and his ponytail slid over his shoulder. There lay his beautiful doll, the only visible movement being the gently rhythmic rising and falling of her chest and the slight parting of her lips between breaths, as he sat in silence watching, the minutes slipping away from him unregretfully. 'She looks so vulnerable,' he mused as his thoughts drifted. 'How could that chicken-shit Zell leave her alone like this?!?' A growl emerged from deep within his throat as his brows knit themselves together tightly and his lips puckered in distaste and perhaps, hatred. The sudden noise resulted in Selphie's awakening, and her heavy eyelids opened unannounced.

"What are you doing here, Irvine?" She asked the wide-eyed and guilty looking SeeD after giving her eyes time to adjust to the light.

"Uh ... I ... uh," he stumbled, "I found three of your students with this," Irvine finally managed to get out into the open and produced the labeled envelope from inside his coat. He gently laid it in the only one of the woman's hands that was not underneath the bedcovers, and unannounced to him, she looked fondly upon the top of his bent head as he did so. "So I'll just be going now, Sefie--," he stated in a subdued tone as he made to stand up, but a sudden pain in his head wrenched him back toward the floor.

"Not so fast, Irvine," she whispered as a warm smile overtook her face. The smile, a clear indicator of her mood, radiated understanding and compassion but its edges were unmistakably turned down, a sign that might be interpreted as sadness or nostalgia. She sat up on the bed and patted the spot next to her in invitation.

"Uh, Selphie dear, could you please uh ...," Irvine grimaced and gestured to his head.

"Oh! Geez, I'm sorry Irvine!" She exclaimed between laughs and released his ponytail from her clinched fist.

He took his place next to her respectfully and made no attempt to touch her as she continued to speak.

"I don't know what happened or ... or what I did to make you leave, but," she said bravely, swallowing her fear in order to relieve the burden on her tender heart. "But I'm sorry, and I hope that we can put that behind us, because I don't think I can stand these hurt feelings much longer," she admitted hurriedly and took in a deep breath. She looked at the man that had once been the most important person in her existence, preparing herself for his rejection of her apology. Much to her surprise, however, in his eyes lingered a sentiment that was much different from what she had expected, and she smiled, causing her tear-brimmed eyes to overflow in trails down her cheeks.

"What's wrong, Sefie?" Irvine asked, worried about her sudden outburst of tears.

"Nothing ... nothing at all," she whispered between sniffles, and Irvine pulled her into his embrace.

"We're friends again, right?" Irvine asked a little slyly, and he was answered by Selphie's head hitting his shoulder as she nodded her response.

After an elongated period of time, the brunette raised his head and moved away from Selphie so he could look her in the face. "By the way, whatever happened to Zell, Sefie?"

"Oh well, I fainted in the Training Center, and he carried me in here so when I woke up, I told him to go back to the Training Center just in case one of the students had a run with a monster down there. There's supposed to be one of us stationed there at all times you see and--" Abruptly, a scream echoed through the hallways of the Garden and ended her attempt at an explanation.

©©©

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" A student's voice pierced the air over the heavy footfalls of a T-Rexsaur.

"I told you not to use that @#$&*$% whistle, Roger! It attracts monsters!" Joshua yelled over the chaos and foreboding thuds.

"I just thought it might be fun to fight something, ya know?" He stated, and followed it with a scream as the beast loomed over the group.

"Alright! You asked for it, you %$#&*$!!!!!" Joshua challenged the monster and pulled out his gunblade, Madhouse. After a moment of trying to digest their comrade's foul language, the others pulled out their weapons: Nessa with her Gattling gun, Innocent's Massacre; Eereiah with her gloves, Mastermind; Fiona with her shuriken, FLING, and Roger with his club, Wombat.

"LOOK," Fiona pointed at Joshua's rapid-fire attacks upon the oversized dinosaur, none them causing significant damage. The monster easily threw the boy aside with its tail after Joshua was spent, and the rest of the group took action. The muscle-bound Roger carried an unconscious Joshua out of the way as the girls jumped into the battle.

"FIGHT!" Fiona raised her usual monotone into a shrill battle cry, and all three petite femme fatales attacked the beast.

Groans, growls, cries, and whimpers were heard all around as each girl took more than her fair share of blows from the seemingly immortal Stone Age pest, and each had hit her limit break, but there was no avail to the one-sided battle.

"LOOK!" Fiona announced between breaths then was knocked off her feet for the fifth time and fainted.

"Back off, everyone!!!" The chocobo-haired hero yelled just before entering the battle, and no one challenged his authority. "C'mon baby! Try me!" Zell taunted the monster nearly twenty times his size and cast Triple on himself. It moved to knock him down with its tail, but he easily evaded the attack. "Well, if you want to play dirty, I can kick your ass that way too!" He sneered and as he cast Aura, Haste, and Blizzaga. "Oh how I love to watch them writhe," he spoke to his students while sporting an impish grin, but his opponent caught him off guard and swung his body and potentially lethal tail 360 degrees. "Ha, what were you tryin' to do, the hokey-pokey?" Zell taunted again while dodging the move with a few gymnastic tumbles. "Hey, hey! What do ya know? It's my turn to attack again! Here it comes!" He exclaimed and summoned Shiva. "That's my girl! Love ya, Shiva!" The blonde winked and blew a kiss at the ice goddess, and she proceeded to boost her attack to 250%. "How'd you like that, you ancient bag of bones!?! Come here, and I'll give you a little kiss too," Zell beckoned and motioned with a finger to come closer.

"Yeah! The kiss of death!!!" Eereiah cheered from the sidelines.

"He really has gotten a lot better since the Sorceress Wars, hasn't he?" Irvine questioned as he and Selphie arrived at the scene.

"Actually, I haven't even seen him fight since then. Both of us have been teaching rather than going on missions," the brunette doll replied just as shocked, but neither the fighter nor his opponent took any notice of the two new arrivals.

"That's it, come here ...," he cooed as the thoroughly exhausted beast took a few shaky steps forward. "Heh," he laughed sarcastically, "here's your kiss!" Instantly, the young warrior disappeared and was replaced by a blur of blonde hair and SeeD blue. The limit break was something similar to _My Final Heaven_ but "supercharged" in the sense that it was significantly faster and more powerful in addition to having twice as many individual attacks for a longer total limit time. But what was the name of this never-before-seen attack? Much to everyone's surprise, he announced the name of the limit break, between breaths, as the creature fell in defeat, "And that attack is called _My One and Only_. Selphie ..."

©©©


	5. Epilogue: Walking Through the Ruins (To ...

Epilogue: Walking Through the Ruins

Epilogue: Walking Through the Ruins

(To a New Beginning)

"I kind of liked it your way, how you shyly placed your eyes on me … and did you ever know that I had mine on you …?" The transformed woman cooed to her reflection in the silvered glass, and giving herself an once-over, she was pleased to see how different she looked. 'Ooh, I wonder if this will surprise anyone!' She thought as images of Zell, in his usual jeans and tee shirt, looking pleasantly bewildered at her appearance ran a course through her mind's eye. 'And now for the finishing touch …,' "Ms. Genki" giggled as she opened her jewelry box to find her three most treasured objects lying in wait like a chimera, ready to pounce on her and invoke a multitude of memories.

Three objects: a pair folded notes nestled beside each other, forming a cradle for the necklace draped over the two. First, the note from Irvine telling her he was going to take a vacation from his life---_from her_---for a while. It sent her life into a downward spin that seemed would never come to a halt or even a pause. The second jotting contained a revelation to its writer about his unacknowledged pining. 'That's funny,' she thought. 'I could never imagine those two ever speaking civilly to each other then," she chuckled noticing how closely the notes were nestled together in serenity as she continued to reminisce about the two guys fighting, over her no less. Now, while they weren't exactly on good terms, at least civility had returned to what used to be a companionable competition.

Allowing herself one more look in the mirror, she returned to the necklace that had been her most cherished object until the recent passage of months. It was a gift from Edea and Cid for her sixteenth birthday, a gift that she had earned as her right of passage from childhood. Even though the onslaught of this so-called adulthood was closely associated with the bittersweet memories of the Sorceress Wars, Cid's prophetic speech on that day still brought a tinge of a smile to her lips.

"You're going to be a heartbreaker," she repeated to herself aloud. The irony in itself was enough laughable enough. Maybe Cid is related to the Delphi Oracle. The muted unlocking of the door awakened her from her thoughts, and she made the motions to clasp the chain behind her head, struggling with it.

"Here, I got it," Zell obliged, and the perky woman stifled what would have been a disappointed expression at his lack of response. She had adorned herself for him after all. And she did frown but for a different reason as the weight of her necklace felt unfamiliar on her neck. A ring now hung from the chain and designs coursed its surface. They were unexplainable in their appearance, but the threads of the design seemed to separate and unite continually in their cycle.

"I made it myself."


End file.
